Rains flatten paddy in Hry, growers anxious
Karnal, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Yamunanagar and Ambala dists which contribute nearly 75% of state’s paddy production are worst affected
KARNAL:THE widespread rainfall in the northern part of the country for the past two days is proving disastrous for the paddy growers of the state, who were looking forward to a rich harvest this year.
As of now, the crop is flattened, fields are waterlogged and clouds are still hovering over the region with the Met predicting more rain for the next 24 hours.
As per reports collected by HT, the impact of the rain can be seen in the entire paddy sowing belt of Haryana. However, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Yamunanagar and Ambala districts, which contribute nearly 75% of the state’s paddy production, are the worst affected.
Officials in the state agriculture department said that the flattening of crop will have 25% to 35% impact on the production in the state, which was around 12 lakh hectares this year. Farmers said they would be at a loss of ₹16,000 to ₹25,000 per acre.
“My entire crop on 15 acres is flattened and the yield will be reduced to almost half as most of the crop was in the milking stage,” said Ajay Kamboj of Indri of Karnal district.
Meanwhile, the small and marginal farmers will be the worst hit as they largely depend on paddy production and even take land on rent. “My crop on five acres is submerged in water since past two days. Now it has turned black and developed germination. I don’t think I would even be able to recover my input cost,” said another distressed farmer Pradeep Kumar of Dumsi Jagir village of Karnal, who has taken six acres at ₹42,000 per acre rent.
moong and bajra in Jind, Sonepat, Rohata, Fatehabad, Sirsa and Hisar districts.
“More that 60% damage to cotton and bajra besides paddy is